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The Southwest Chaco Canyon Pueblo Bonito kiva
Map
imagePueblo Bonito is the largest of the Great Houses in Chaco Canyon. It coverstwo acres and rises up four stories. Archaeologists have excavated more thansix hundred and fifty rooms and thirty-nine individual kivas within this town. It is estimated that Pueblo Bonito may have housed as many as twelve hundred people.

The town is shaped like the letter D with its belly resting againstthe canyon wall. A large open courtyard occupies a central space and is divided by a thick wall. Archaeologists believe that this division may reflect some aspect of the Anasazi social order. The architecture of the town required thirty thousand tons of sandstone blocks to build; this suggests a society where one elite group was able to prevail upon another larger group to labor on their behalf. Dendrochronologists [Link to page] estimate that the construction of Pueblo Bonito began in the year 919 and ended in 1067 A.D.

Pueblo Bonito, like the other Chaco towns, is a fortress. There are noexterior doors or windows by which to enter the town; instead you must climb over the outer wall by ladder. These defensive features suggest that the Anasazi were involved in a prolonged period of warfare.
Burial
 Ancient burial room at Pueblo Bonito. This was a grave containing a man, nine women and an infant. They seem to have been buried at different times and may have been members of the same family. The dead rested on sleeping mats, and several of them were decorated with turquoise ornaments. The main cemetery of the town has never been found, but small burial sites like this one are common at Pueblo Bonito.
Frog
 Carved Frog found at Pueblo Bonito. This mysterious frog, carved from a single black stone, might have served as a magical amulet, or it may have been a child's toy.
Pottery
 Clay pitchers and cylinder jars found at Pueblo Bonito. Much of the Anasazi pottery is painted with red or white geometric designs. These paints were produced by boiling local plants.
Stone Tool
 Ceremonial Skinning Knife and section of knife blade. The Anasazi did not have iron or steel. Their knives and other tools were made from carefully worked stones.